


Two Darker Roses, or a Darker Shade of Rose

by Francis_Order



Category: Filly Funtasia (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, Other, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:49:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29567769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Francis_Order/pseuds/Francis_Order
Summary: Wranglum has given up trying to get things by force. He is going to persuade Rose to work with him...and she is going to listen.
Kudos: 1





	Two Darker Roses, or a Darker Shade of Rose

Two Darker Flowers, or, a Darker Shade of Red  
Summary: Wranglum realizes why he keeps failing and what he is at risk to lose after the dragon debacle. His solution, though, will turn eyes and change history.  
Short-summary: Unable to best the fillies and take over Funtasia the simple way, Wranglum turns to manipulation.  
1\. A lost cause  
Wranglum was thinking.  
He was thinking hard, he was thinking long, he was thinking in every dimension he could.  
How could he have lost like this?  
Every failure came from a different source, a different error he had made. Except for Battiwigs, who through incompetence or perhaps a desire to protect the fillies he hated had kept messing up.  
He hadn't understood it until now because he was thinking in the old way.  
In the old way, Wranglum started out with all the power and simply had to acquire the people and the resources. That was the easy way.  
Now, he had to start with the people and the resources and acquire the power.  
But until now, had he really done that??  
He'd used enchanted creatures, deceived people, a simpering young bat who wished to speak and to be free of the fillies (but who was scared of the idea of losing his home with them).  
He'd had before that but also something much more.  
Funtasia had fallen to him in lava falls and acid rain. Just like Aquaria, and the underground of the continent. The solid land beneath the floating continent the next obvious target.  
But it had all gone wrong thanks to just one little filly with too much heart.  
But that was in the past.  
Battiwigs may have feared a lava-torched Academy, but it was a fever dream at this point.  
Every powerful crystal, lost to him.  
Where even was the dark one? Had it shattered? Had it been split up? Hidden? How could he not have found it yet? Battiwigs was clumsy but innocuously so, he had spied everywhere there was to spy. Surely some secret corridors were missing, but not anything too major, surely? Surely...  
"Boooss"  
"Yes Battiwigs", Wranglum replied grumpily.  
"Why don't you just call me Batti like you started doing yesterday" he chirped.  
"Because I don't do pet names, and last thing I need is you calling me Wrangly again!" he emoted.  
"But I said Wrangy..-"  
"Enough!"  
"I've been thinking, Batti, do you have something urgent to say?"  
"Yes master, you will like this for sure!"  
"Is it another crystal we can go and lose thanks to your clumsiness? Or to my trust in you and others who to this point have abandoned us?"  
"Or is it a filly, or some potion you want to try? The answer is no. I am done with this way of doing things".  
The poor bat had a concerned look. This was not like the overlord.  
"Wranglum, are you alright? This isn't you."  
"Of course it's not me!" he hurled, throwing a rock into the walls of his prison. A couple of sharp stalactites fell. Or was it stalagmites. Who cared.  
"We have lost again, and again, and again. I am so sick and tired of this", he concluded shortly.  
"You need a new plan", Batti replied.  
"Yes."  
"What if I told you"  
"No"  
"Oh c'mon, just give it a chance", the flying servant practically pleaded, his face shining in the mirror despite the dark of the cave prison. "You have NEVER seen this before"  
"I have seen everything, and everything we do I fail. Where have we succeeded? We have lost traps, strongholds, servants, workers, time, crystals, and even somewhat the veil of secrecy".  
"I wouldn't put it like that"  
"Be honest"  
"Well, I would prioritize people over things or places!"  
"No, Batti, that is not what I meant. And these people have betrayed us, except the few who died loyally and not even sure about them. We are out of resources, Battiwigs. I cannot plan any more because I have no more plans."  
"Ohhh, the great and all-powerful wizard has no plans..."  
"Batti..."  
"Wrangy..."  
"Don't", he whispered.  
"If you want any chance, we need to focus more on people and less on crystals or lands!" he proudly declared.  
"Huh. That's exactly what I was scheming on before you came to interrupt me!"  
"Well, sorry, but you can surely finish your thought after. This is urgent and we should act now. Or I should, I don't know what you can do".  
"I can summon our subjects, spawn in storms, tremor the ground. What can't I do?" the dark lord boasted.  
"Escape your cell?"  
A loud roar and some light violet magic emanated through the glass. Worried, Batti looked around to make sure nobody had noticed. It was night-time, but who knows what the fillies and their pets were up to.  
"Boss, be quiet! This needs to be done in secrec-"  
"Don't you order me!"  
Batti at this point sighed and gave up. He loved Wranglum with all his heart. It started out as an employment, a trap far too good to be true, but even as childish as Battiwigs was, he knew it was such but had stayed anyway. And it had become so much more. The wizard had indoctrinated him, but had also shown him the light. The fillies, more than annoying, were not all good to others, or even among themselves. And Wranglum was a shining beacon in the dark, if a dark violet light himself.  
A friend, a true friend, a master who (secretly) saw him as (almost) equal. Maybe a lover, although Batti had no interest in any creature at all, but Wranglum's personality was as close as one like Batti could get to sympathy and even empathy. Batti was so tired of it all, and he hid it well.  
But now he was tired of his boss and only friend. He turned to leave.  
"Wait".  
He looked back slyly. "Yes?"  
"Fine. Let's do it. Well, let's let you do it, because I can't do anything without you telling me".  
"Well, will you listen?"  
"Yes...."  
And so Batti began to relate a very interesting find.  
END CHAPTER

Chapter 2  
Secret Access  
The wall stood testament to the value of the knowledge it contained within.  
Not exactly a spinning bookshelf or book-shaped lever, it nevertheless did well to hide valuables from prying eyes...or wings.  
Rose studied it from the inside of the restricted wing. Sparkle was glancing over and smiling. Rose was a quick study but she had a bad habit of overanalyzing things.  
"Come, dear. I think this area may interest you more".  
Curious, the young filly followed her educator and guardian, although after the dragon debacle, Rose was as much the protector of Miss Sparkle as Sparkle protected Rose.  
Sparkle looked young and virile, but her age was beyond most of the Academy staff, and her expertise and wisdom had come with a softness and weakness she had not had before.  
Rose had heard great things about her headmaster.  
Hard to believe, even.  
\---  
The hallway was nearly empty save a pedestal with a chest on it, a vase with what seemed to be enchanted flowers that could never wilt, and some historical paintings.  
Rose was drawn to the chest first, her love of the mysterious drawing her to it, but to keep appearance she focused on the vase instead.  
Sparkle beckoned her over to the paintings, however.  
One painting showed a flaming and lava-drenched Academy. What a terrible sight.  
Another, a creature she could best guess to be Lord Wranglum, growing with the power of the dark crystal. Her great grandmother's dark crystal.  
A pang of familial guilt hit her and she looked away. She still wasn't over it altogether.  
"You've grown past this, my warrior", Sparkle smiled.  
"Yes I have. Or I wish I have, but despite how sure I feel it just takes one small trigger in this place to send it all back".  
"I know".  
Someone else, one of her peers or a teacher or older student, might be less sensitive and tell her she was being dramatic, or worse. But Sparkle, while cold at times, was a warmer light than any, even her own family.  
No barriers between them.  
Well...  
except for all of them.  
The secret adventures.  
The late nights spent up to mischief, magical or otherwise. Rose thought herself slightly better than her peers but she had still engaged in things she was nor proud of.  
Pranks, potions bordering opium-like herbs, and some party games she had taken too far in an unneeded effort to prove herself to her class, which already saw her as a leader and almost a God.  
Rose had to stop herself from making an odd face or posture as she meekly smiled back to her guidance, and looked again.  
Wranglum in the third picture had grown from a tree-like beast to a mountain staring down the island of Funtasia.  
A strange looking pink filly was drawn too. Looked a bit like her grandmother, but Lily never was drawn with such hues or such an orderly hairstyle, especially after her mistake.  
Could it be Sparkle herself?  
Rose knew that fillies who lived wise lives and were well versed in crown magic could live centuries.  
She wondered if Lily was alive.  
Her grandmother would never discuss it.  
The last picture was most revealing. After the strange filly had blasted the creature, the Lord of the Grounders had began to shrunk down.  
A final, more recent painting, a rework from Lily's biography, showed Wranglum trapped in the cave, with what was more clearly Lily staring him through the rock somehow. Probably a metaphor.  
But it was all wrong. She had found Wranglum in the mystic woods' caves, not under a mountain.  
How could a cave have moved so far in under a century?  
She had had nightmares of him, he'd induced them, no doubt. Once ignoring or ignorant of her, Wranglum chose to target Rose specifically. Luckily, he knew not of her lineage or power, or she would've been his sole target.  
In the nightmarish labyrinth of the giant Spider, Wranglum had teleported out and followed Rose and her friends.  
He was too close to being free.  
But Rose's guilt stopped her from telling Sparkle what needed to be said.  
Afraid of judgment, afraid of failure, afraid to not be perfect, she kept silent.  
Rose's imagination had got the better of her, and rather than take the mature sense to admit her faults to protect the land, she had not the courage.  
Wranglum was this close to getting out. He could show up through magic in any place with exposed rock, surprising he had not followed her earlier in caves and forests.  
He could make earthquakes, cast his minions anywhere, enchant animals, erupt volcanoes...  
She felt scared, but her fear of the world she was loved in and the fragility of that image she had made for herself was greater than what harm Wranglum could do with his lava and rocks.  
Still, if he rose again, he could be stopped again.  
Who would have to stop him this time, though? Sparkle? Or her...  
Indecisive, Rose realized she had zoned out. Sparkle had given her space, seeing she was overwhelmed, and was standing at a distance behind. If they were closer, Sparkle might have hugged her, or caressed her mane, but Sparkle did not, and wanted to give Rose distance and make sure she was comfortable, afraid that her touch might scare the unicorn.  
How strange that such a strong and confident filly could ask so many questions and fear so many fears!  
Unlike her elvish friend, Rose was brave, self-driven, and outgoing. Bella had to work on these categories, but she had improved a lot too.  
Maybe too much.  
These young fillies were troublesome. They ran off everywhere and got into this mess.  
Rose had gotten them into this mess. She had got Wranglum aware of them and of her and her friends in specific.  
Now, he knew all her closest friends.  
Not to mention he had certainly done some witchwork on some of the dorm pets. Bijou's invisible crystal had surely been planted, not an accident. And Battiwigs, who gave it to her, seemed enchanted.  
She had sworn she'd seen him in the mystic caves, but it could've been just an ordinary bat..  
Having had enough, Rose thanked her headmistress and turned to leave.  
\---  
After Sparkle too had finally left, Battiwigs flew down from the perch of the outside bookshelf, the Mirror in claw.  
"A wall?" U__U  
"No, Master, it's a hidden section. We just need to get through this entrance".  
0-0  
"No problem." He cast a spell and it opened all too easily for a secret door.  
"So what in here exactly have you found?"  
"I could never get through without you or I'd be noticed. I just saw from outside. From the high positions in the main section you can see rare artifacts and history books. Probably all spun lies by the fillies. Victors always write history".  
"I bet they were good enough in portraying my former might. Let's go and see. It's night, I doubt they will return."  
"See, we need each other. We're a team".  
"Agreed, but let's not make another soap opera out of it. I feel like Petunia again, just crawling these halls".  
"And I feel like when I tried to open Sparkle's doors the whole day, and Willow had to do it for me".  
"Who?" 0_()<  
"The black and white boy filly. He's a faerie type I think".  
"Ah, yes, he's one of the dumb ones. Him and the Witch. Walked right into our Maze, eh?"  
"They're all smarter than they look, except maybe the blue one, he's not too much common sense. We shouldn't underesti-"  
"Relax. The real problem is, Sparkle has surely added security to her doors, after the Petunia attempt and then you giving the Bijou crystal to Rose and the elfish one".  
"We can't rely on those anymore. We need to seek out the dark crystal t, and if there's anywhere it would be put, it would be here".  
"What about the blue crystal then? It's not up there, I know it's not! And neither is the Bijou one, Sparkle said she needed a special place for it due to its power, maybe she meant this wing!"  
"Or any other half dozen such places in this building. You really think our lair is the only one?"  
"Wait, how did you overhear that, Batti? You were with me when they took it"  
"I have my sources"  
"Ah, very well. So other pets are on our side too. Good. Or do we have a friendly filly here who talks to you, not knowing? A gossiper, perhaps? The elf one seems like she is wise to this but maybe too loose to talk".  
"Her name is Bella, I believe, and she worries me more than Rose herself."  
"She has no power."  
"She's an elf. She can tell when things are off, and she knows I'm up to trouble. She just pretends she's ignorant, but I've gotten death glares from her when nobody else is looking".  
"I find that hard to believe. Dismissable and dumb, just like the rest of the lot of them. Only Rose and the rock-loving one scare me. The rock one is exactly perfect to counter any plan I make based on rocks alone. Him combined with the white pegasus-alicorn-Angel-whatever one from the older students, and they're bound to stop anything we set up above ground or in shallow caves. We need to go deeper".  
"Here is deeper".  
"Here is information, but no solutions".  
"I overheard Rose and Sparkle talking. I think I have a solution".  
"Okay."  
"Not curious? Really?"  
"No, I'd rather stay away from the only two fillies who could likely bring me down to zero power again".  
"Hmm, because doing the opposite of that is exactly what I had in mind".  
"NO." xDx  
"I will NOT become that dreaded creature again. Being a filly is bad enough, being half-Rose is a nightmare. For all her good qualities, she is unbearable and sharing her essence with mine almost caused me to lose myself. And you. Thank goodness we fixed that last moment".  
"You would have disintegrated".  
"Or been stuck a little filly girl forever! With a pointy alihorn and the power of a weak Star or Witchy, but nothing impressive. At best, I could have gained Somnambulant powers but nothing past that!"  
"It would not have been so bad."  
"I was starting to fall in love with you. That was bad."  
"I think it could be worse".  
"Rose is an Amorica or whatever it is called. Her whole kind is based off love, and especially romantic love. She's a walking threat to my indifference to fillies".  
"You mean hate?"  
"No, indifference. Indifference is the opposite to love, not hate. You hate the fillies, they accept you. Acceptance and hate. Love and indifference. I am indifferent to them, I don't want them around or enslaved anymore, just dead and out of the way. On to the next place. I really wonder how much the lava a century ago has burned the lands below this island. Only one way to find out".  
"If you read the history here, it's all well-documented."  
"Look, Wranglum, Rose is weak right now. You've scared her. She thinks you're going to escape".  
The mirror had to stop himself from cracking up. "Anything could be further from the truth".  
"Maybe not. Maybe the secret ingredient you need has been right in front of us all along".  
<___> "What do you mean?"  
"I think we can get Rose on our side".  
END CHAPTER  
(You could make the argument that Wranglum is the hateful one and Battiwigs is indifferent, but based off of how little Wranglum knows about the fillies and how Battiwigs enjoys mocking them, I think which is which is clear to me).

CHAPTER 3  
WILL and Cedric were doing...something. As far as Zam could tell it looked like they had stolen half of the academy's lab materials into their dorm's common area.  
A bunch of vials full of dark blue and fizzing liquids - were they potions?? - were held up by all sorts of tubing and supports. One big empty vat at the center of the amalgamation sat ready to receive. The roommates were taking down notes with their mirrors.  
"How many hours have you guys been at this? I thought you said we were game today, what the hell!" Zam frowned, but he was failing to hide his curiosity. This could be the ultimate prank ever, and Will at least was known for making pranks interesting, friendly competition and all. Cedric was probably more the brains of the operation, but somebody smart enough to steal and assemble all this stuff ought to have known it would end in disaster most likely.  
Footsteps up the stairs.  
"Oh damn, we totally thought game was at 3. Isn't that what we said?" Will glanced furtively at the figure up the staircase which tripped coming up. "Fabian?"  
It was actually Troy, who was carrying a hoofball with his mirror and struggling to fit himself and it in the tight alcove.  
"We really need to ask the professors to fix that" Cedric commented distractedly, his mind on whatever strange thing this anomaly was going to do.  
"How? Just push the bricks out one by one?" Zam chided, not seeing sense in this reply. "This building's like 50 years old at least, how're you going to do that?"  
"Bet they won't even say yes, but damn this place needs a reno", Troy added, spinning the hoofball slowly while standing on his threes.  
"How do you guys not suffocate in this kind of must?"  
"The must's just from the potion" Will explained, "and it's almost time to make and use it. Ashia is going to have a blast when we show her the video".  
"Doubt", Cedric replied.  
"Don't be such a lowdown man, we got this. It's going to be great."  
"Do you really think it's a good idea?"  
"Does Will think what's a good idea, exactly?" Zam said, out of patience at this point, either for the game or the mad science experiment going on in this dorm. "How did you guys even get this upstairs?"  
"Teleportation spells", Will smiled proudly. "We learned some stuff, expanded from crystals Cedric nabbed off Fabian for "research" and made them into a portal we could fit this into".  
"Tight operation", Cedric added, "We've got 1 hour till she notices they're missing, and they need to be packed and back in there in that time. But we're almost go. Yo, Troy, give me a hoof".  
Troy dropped the ball, which then began to roll towards the stairs to go all the way down again. Oh well.  
Luckily Fabian was also coming up with another boy filly the guys knew less well, the blue haired Prince with bluer fur. What was his name even again? This guy was always quiet and then he went and made jokes about ripping off monster toenails with Will.  
" 'Yo', Cedric, your clone's here", Troy chuckled, the clone then catching the ball and passing it to Fabian, who against all belief managed to catch it and toss it back over to Zam, now waiting and tapping his hooves fast.  
"This room's getting crowded", Zam pointed out.  
"Almost ready, boys. We got us a magical wonder right here" Will chuckled.  
"What's it do though?" Fabian asked. "Wait...you guys didn't use-"  
"Yes we did, Fabian," Cedric interrupted, "Sorry not sorry, you're going to love this".  
"Of all fillies I wouldn't expect you to lie to me".  
"It's gonna be worth it".  
"So what's it doooooo?"  
"It's gonna help us make a map of the whole academy building. All this mist's gonna fly up in the air and make the whole building glow, but only for us who are doused in it, nobody else will see a thing."  
"Why though?" the quiet filly asked.  
"Because dude," Will explained, "Cedric and I are the Squad you know, we do most of the magic fighting here and we're gonna sus out whoever's been planting stuff everywhere".  
"I call bets it's that Wranglum guy they talk about", Zam blurted.  
"..."  
"Why  
"do you think that?" Fabian and Quiet stared.  
"Because you said, Will, you guys were stopping a damn eruption. Who else on this island has that kind of power?"  
"We've seen the back halls of the place, Zam" Will whispered, "That guy is trapped and for good. He can do stuff outside but while he's underground he can't make volcanoes do so much, c'mon. It's just natural somehow"  
"No way Will, Sparkle said it's not normal. You gotta stop thinking with your ego, steed" Cedric shook his head. While everyone had been talking in hushed tones, he had began pouring the various blue juices of whatever into the vat, and the cauldron began to boil slowly.  
"If only you had listened to me and we brought Lynn in, she could have got this done in like 15 minutes" Will muttered.  
"Like I'm letting her in again after the last 2 times. You guys keep me up half the night talking...or whatever it was. Cut that out already" Cedric jabbed back. "Now help me stir this"  
Never missing an opportunity to flex in front of gang gang, Will began mixing mayhem, discord and dismay into the pot, until suddenly some sort of temperature was reached and the fizz cut out. "Oh crap, did I mess it up?"  
"No, that means it's cold enough to go through the walls now".  
"Cedric," Fabian pointed out, "if you want to get fog into solid granite and basalt, shouldn't you be heating it up? How is it going to move in the air now, leave alone through thick igneous rock?"  
"No dude it's magic not science, he ain't gotta explain anything" Will grinned, giving Fabian a light tap before turning back to the cauldron. "Now what?"  
"Release it," was the simple answer. "Just toss it over"  
"Wait what!?" Zam shouted. "That stuff's liquid, you wanna get us covered in slime??"  
"No, it'll turn into mist again when it flows over. Just trust in the process" Cedric said.  
Will knocked it over slowly, Quiet coming over to give some extra brawn. The liquid spilled out, hit the floor and instantly evaporated into some sort of cold steam. It had sublimated or something. Science stuff. Cool.  
TO everyone's amazement, the mist then began seeping through the floor, walls, and ceilings, and lighting them a vibrant yellow. Like an amoeba, it slowly glowed and moved and grew and began to spread to other buildings connected to Will and Cedric's dorm. In a few minutes, the boys could see every room in the whole main building. It was something straight out of Narnia.  
"Whoa, check it out, that basement area I got lost in has a back access!" Fabian yelped.  
"Oh so that's how Rose got out of there, I thought she just teleported. Worried me sick".  
"Cedric, you literally dragged her in there and shut the door, what you even saying dude, that's weeeird" Zam laughed, a little scorn showing through. "Even Zamia doesn't go that far. Usually"  
"I see something cooler", Troy added. "There's a whole back wing behind the library".  
"Yeah yadda yadda yadda, it's a secret wing and stuff. It's got paintings of past headmasters and Sparkle fighting the grounder guy-"  
"Wranglum" Fabian stated.  
"How did you even know?" Will asked, feeling his secret lost.  
"Dude we've seen him, plus, I tell Fabian what we find. That's what bros do, bro." Cedric said, scribbling notes down furiously. "I didn't know there's so many back entrances and basements in this complex. But that one basement Fabian pointed out has a weird vibe to it, look at how the magic's floating ... slower ... over there".  
"It's like it's being pushed up by something", Quiet added "Bet we gonna find a new Monster from Bella's cupcakes floating around in there?"  
"Heck, I'd love to check it out. Those walls are so interesting. I could spend all day..." Fabian trailed off, sensing the room.  
In a jiffy, Will, Quiet, and Cedric were dismantling the apparatus. "The glow should last long enough for us to find that room again and map a way out fast to the side field" Cedric pointed out.  
"The side field, colt? Why not the garden, we're not using that anymore anyway" Will chuckled.  
"Yeah Ced we've gotta make sure the plants don't get too cozy, I don't want another plant uprising" Troy glanced.  
"Dude you weren't even there" Zam retorted, "Try almost getting eaten alive by one".  
"That sounds nasty" Quiet baited, "But I bet someone would've been happy and I don't mean the plant!"  
Zam felt his cheeks burn a little but kept his cool.  
"C'mon guys, stop talking and mucking around, help us out here. Faster we do this, faster we get to hoofball" Will encouraged.  
\-----  
6, or 12 rather, pairs of hooves tiptoed down some cobble steps and damp slate. This basement went way underused. It was supposed to be a rare books storage, according to the sign, but the door in at the top of the way down was locked and the sign had long fallen off its hinges.  
The whole room looked like it was ageing on its own unused for years, dust bunnies floating around, surprisingly few though, and stacks of books and boxes littered every such way.  
"This is where I fell in the portal!" Fabian practically shouted. "Here! Zack wouldn't believe me when I told him but I'm telling you it was real."  
"I believe you," Will said, "We did just make out own portal after all.  
"Yeah, but this one was GREEN dude, like colour of my hair green. Yours was blue. It's gotta mean something"  
"It just means whoever made it used green crystals or one green crystal instead of a bunch of blue ones" Cedric droned, a bit dismissively.  
"So?"  
"Blue crystals are teleportation, maybe green are for portals. We can go ask Florian later"  
"How's about this, you guys, this is the secret passage to the theatre stage" Zam chuckled, "Yo Will I bet if you played your drums in here you could hear it from out there and vice versa".  
A muffled 'NO!' came from somewhere.  
"Who said that?" Quiet asked, glancing sideways at Cedric and Fabian.  
"Dunno" Zam shrugged, probably just someone upstairs getting mad, maybe it's Cookingpot messing up his pancake machine again. Ever since he got that spider to work it it's been running a bit wonky"  
"Yo don't diss Tula like that" Will laughed, "She saved us from what I'm guessing was the real and in the flesh Wranglum underground. And Grounders".  
"Not dissing, just saying" Zam quipped. "They're like a married couple or something, you hear them argue all the time about ratios and stuff.  
"Well I'm bored", Troy said, "Let's get out and go kick a ball or something, it's already 3:30 and we've got dinner at 5."  
"I'm already kinda hungry" Will admitted. "Wonder if I left any cupcakes in my mirror...hmm"  
Will shuffled out and found a corner of a leftover sandwich and nobbled that instead.  
With stares of disapproval, the rest of the group shuffled out through the back pass.  
"Yo shouldn't we, y'know, close the door" Quiet asked, at the back again.  
"No, it's fine" Cedric said quickly, "It shouldn't be closed anyway".  
\-----  
Kicking the ball around outside, not exactly doing proper hoofball but mostly hog, the boys sent curveballs flying like something out of a broomball game at Hogwart's. Of course, a story's nothing like a real thing, but who knows if books aren't real sometimes?  
Putting down his binoculars, Batti picked up the purple mirror. "Alright boss, we're good. They're out now and out to stay"  
"Oh finally', Wranglum frowned, "I was five seconds away from blasting them, but I think we'd know what'd happen next. Just get me back inside already and let's set up the spell"  
\-----  
Inside, Batti watched with familiar dread and anticipation as Wranglum exited the mirror and smoke formed into an all too unpleasant and eerie form.  
"This time, the voice carries over too, which is nice" the feminine shape replied.  
Petunia stared at her old mirror and smiled. This was gonna be a fun plan. And thanks to the boys' little mist experiment, Wranglum knew exactly how he could lure Rose over. It would just take some cleverness, and Rose's little blue crusher boy had done just that in trying to find the back passage she had taken. The whole secret wing was now mapped out in front of her. It was time to strike.  
"We have about 14 hours. Let's make them count" she spoke again.  
"And this time, we're collabing, okay, no arguments, got it?" Battiwigs frowned playfully, before revealing a simpery grin.  
"Yeep. This is either the best or the worst idea you've ever had, kid, let's hope it works." the morph whistled, picking up some tools in case things went south and putting them in her mirror. She had gotten the hang of it now, with several chances to practice. Hopefully the persuasion would be enough, Wranglum had been feeling demoralized himself, but this fresh opportunity Sparkle had given him (?) and Batti would let him get a whole other level here. The prized student, working for the other side! This would be epic beyond all proportions, a whole war could be won in a week or so if things went well. It was just a matter of being smooth tongued, and for that, Batti had rehearsed with Petunia before every possible line needed. Hours spent working up this, much more organized, idea, were going to pay off.  
Last case scenario, hypnotism was possible. Although in the body of a unicorn, it would be harder, but practice makes perfect and the various relics of the previous attempts - loose animals, mouthy plants, angry fish, and so on, had given an excellent preparation. It was going so perfect that Petunia was sure it would go wrong.  
How easy would it be though to break a mind against its will instead of with its will, especially one that was fairly strong? If it had been her friend, the elf one or even the witch, it might have been easier, but of course the best targets are those that are hard to crack. Tough stuff.  
They left, and kept the door unlocked as it had been.  
\-----  
Professor Florian sensed something was off earlier but couldn't tell what. He felt something move just now, and against his better judgment decided he would ask Coach's opinion, as much as they did not get along. It was best to get a second opinion before informing the senior staff, might have just been a joke spell gone awry.  
Loose as he was with rules, there was definitely a weird sign about this latest shiver. Sixth sense is a powerful thing.  
END CHAPTER  
Okay, well, this was about three times as long as I wanted it to be but I really wanted to flesh out the plot here since I've finally decided where I'm heading with this story. To hell in handbasket, really, but it's only just starting to get fun. And by fun I mean complicated. Very very complicated.

CHAPTER 4  
BELLA was heading towards the other girls outside in the front lawns. She had been looking unsuccessfully for Rose and Melody about half an hour, Will had gone and told her he had seen Melody floating around the back somewhere but Rose he had no idea.  
Rose was actually already at the picnic, with Lynn, Zamia, and a girl Bella knew but not her name, the redheaded one who looked like Lynn but with even more of the attitude. Hm.  
"What up, Bel? You look a bit pale" this girl asked. "Took you long enough to find Rose, eh?"  
This got a chuckle out of Rose who got a swift jab from the Lynn lookalike.  
"What's wrong, girl, seriously? You look like you saw another monster or some shit"  
"Oh no that again" Zamia groaned, "Haven't we had enough of those lately?"  
"Says the one who hasn't even seen the wicked wizard himself!" Lynn grinned.  
"Says the one who hasn't almost been eaten three times by a giant flower now!" was the fast retort  
"Where is Melody at?", Red said, cutting out past the nonsense. "I told everyone we all needed to be here and she's gone and run off with her other friends again, hasn't she?"  
Bella looked at the ground. "Well I don't know, she wasn't in her usual places, Will told me she'd be in the side halls near the back of the academy but that's exactly where he and his friends were heading...and uh, Rose, where even were you?"  
Rose shushed, seeming a bit upset, but then piped up, "I was uh, studying. You know, good student gotta get the good grades, am I right?"  
Some eyebrows raised.  
"Wellll, Sparkle, was showing me the back areas of the place again. So maybe Mel wasn't there but I sure was. Trying to find some history on the lost crystals of my homeland. It turns out there's more crystals and crystal thieves out there than I ever knew"  
"Did you find anything on the great Twins, Abra and Cadabra?" asked Lynn.  
"Alakazam!" Bella cheered.  
"Right", Lynn said. "Some smart ass made up a rumour they're triplets, but it's just that - a rumour. And let people run their mouths and it'll become a legend instead"  
"Oh come on", Red said, "Trickster to trickster, do you really think so much harm would be done by an imaginary stage artist?"  
The look again, this time at Red. "Yessssss"  
"Well I didn't go reading into Witchy stuff or Trickster stuff, mind you" Rose went on, "I was looking for stuff about ways to protect the academy. Now that's kinda my job and stuff"  
"Hey! Our job!" Lynn protested, but Bella put a hoof to clamp her and replied "Exactly, so that means you must have found stuff on Wranglum, and I'm sure Lynn would love some inspiration on that!"  
"Yeah, no, I don't want to look into him too much," Rose admitted, "There's something strange about him and there's other worries to be had"  
"Dude so far he's been the main problem" Lynn continued, brushing Bella off her, "Why would you spend time on pettier villains when he's the big ham and he's basically at large right now?"  
"He's not at large!" Rose countered, "I know exactly where he is! He's in the Mystic Caves. We just need a way to get back there safely."  
"Oh really? Can I come this time?" Zamia inquired.  
With a smirk on her face, Rose taunted, "Yeah, sure, if we want me to fall down the hole on purpose this time."  
"Don't do me dirty like that, Rosa" Zamia said.  
"Don't call me Rosa, Zamie"  
"Ew, that's not how my name's pronounced outside Elvish, don't try to Amorize it or something"  
"Okay, Zam"  
"Noooooo ewwwwww" Zamia made a retching face.  
"Don't EVER call me by my brother's name. You have no idea what happened last time"  
"Ooh, I want to know" Red said  
"Me too" -Lynn  
"I bet there was some fun times" Bella said, fluttering her eyes.  
"No, it wasn't fun, and it wasn't something we were talking about. Rose, seriously, don't you think you should take someone who actually knows how to fight back this time?"  
"I can fight back just fine, thank you," Rose explained, "And we had Lynn with us...and Zack" Her eyes went dreamy for a moment before snapping back into the present. Bella suppressed a giggle. "We were fine"  
"You almost fucking died", Bella said with a 'seriously' look.  
"That's normal. Apparently"  
"No, no it isn't," Zamia said, "And if you're going to go visit him again, whyever you would do something so dumb, you'd better be ready for a fight this time"  
"Oh please" Lynn muttered, "Just because you can throw pranks doesn't mean you know how to actually fight. Let me and Will handle that, have us come and we're good"  
"I promised Will and Bella they could come this time, first of all" Rose began-  
"NO I don't want to go" Bella pouted. "If you have a death wish, that's on you, Rose. Keep me out of this, thank you."  
"What if we find cookies?"  
Bella flinched half a second and then, unable to keep a poker face any longer, switched gears, "What if you and Zack find some time alone?"  
"Ugh, you guys really fell for that loser?" Red droned. "Your class is too damn soft. I had a fling with that guy, TRUST ME, he's not worth your time drooling over. You want a boy in the upper years, I'll get you one."  
"How?" Lynn smirked.  
"I got friends..." and with that she hushed.  
Rose was stuck in her bubble again and had to get a hand hoof wave to the face. (Did I really write hand???)  
"I thought you're not inviting the same people twice", Lynn accused. "If you're not letting me go..."  
"No, no, you can come if you want to. Just, uh, let me think about it, okay?"  
"When's it gonna happen?" Zamie asked.  
"I saw that", Red whispered.  
"Well, probably Thursday or Friday, we'll see. Whenever Will doesn't have evening classes because I need some man fillypower. In which case Zack is definitely coming too. And Lynn."  
"Hm, counting me in with the stallions, huh? I'll show you" Lynn joked, making a mean face before turning it into a wink.  
"Bet you guys could make it a double date, I'm almost jealous" Bella added.  
"Shut up Bella" Lynn said.  
Lynn didn't react much but Rose did. "Okay, so then, we need Bella to stay back again and watch dog our dorms. We'll get Cedric to do the boys' dorms, let's hope he gets us any tools we need before we set out, and uh, I don't know how we're going to explain Zack being away again because he has his own room and the other grad-levels noticed last time".  
"I'm sure the other guys have their own ideas", Red hinted.  
"No". Zamie began.  
"You bunch are so transparent, you know that? You're not going to go hunt down some ancient wizard who's about as real as Bella' monster, you're going to go get drunk in the woods and do some stupid shit, and this is magic forest patrolled by enchanted animals. Bad move."  
"Always such a downer, where did all the exciting go?" Lynn poked.  
"When it turned out Bella's monster wasn't real. I really had hopes we'd learn something useful and fun for once" Red rolled her eyes.  
Bella rolled her eyes right back. there was a trail  
"Wranglum is just like my monster, and he's real too! We've seen him, remember? Rose has seen him several times now. She even had dreams about him just like Cedric did. He's real as real can be"  
"Having a dream doesn't count for crap" Rose blaised.  
"Roooose, a princess, swearing, how low of you" Bella teased. "What would your parents think?"  
Rose had no reply to this. "Alright," she said while sauntering up, "I gotta go let the others know what's up. Maybe I find Melody and let her know for your dorm, Red. Tata"  
Her gone, the conversation went on. "So I wonder if the older girls think we've been stealing Zack from them and that's what's up..." Zamie grinned.  
"Saw it again" Red said irked.  
"Saw what?" Lynn asked.  
"Nothing", Red answered.  
"I'd sure love to steal Zack from Rose if they get together," Bella grinned a little evilly, "But I heard he has a fiance."  
"Bullshit, he's not even out of school yet. Plus, his grandfather would kick his ass if that was true, you know how Dr. Antares is with rules" Lynn went.  
"It's just Antares, not Doctor," Bella snapped, "And isn't it funny how you know that, or how Rose knows he sleeps in one room? Sounds like someone's been doing some spying..."  
"Says the lovebird and matchmaker herself" Red taunted.  
......  
~

Petunia watched as Rose crashed into Fabian and brushed him off a little irritably but with a less forced smile than the last time.  
"Heh, always old accident-prone me, eh?" Fabian chuckled, but he wasn't really smiling at all. "I'm trying to find the way to the basement with the basalt again, we were just there an hour ago but I lost it, and I left a couple things around..."  
"Nope, no idea," Petunia said, stepping out, "but I bet it's around....erm, that way!" She smiled.  
"Petunia! You're back! Oh my goodness!" Rose blurted.  
"Shush shush, it's okay. And I'm feeling a lot better this time too," she added.  
Fabian meantime, not having seen Petunia before and shrugging her off over the prospect of fresh rocks, had vanished.  
Same old Fabian.  
"Thank you for saving me from him", Rose breathed, "I did not want to have to repeat that story again".  
"Oh?" she asked.  
"Do you want me to show you the basement? We're actually right next to it, although I was looking for someone els-"  
"Yes! I'm quite curious. I've got a lot to catch up on with you!"  
"You seem...happy?"  
"Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better this time. No sickness, no allergies, just you and I having some fun like old times. Gal to gal, is this someone got some dirt you wanna share?" She winked a little too forcedly.  
Rose was suspicious, and then had the realization Fabian had probably been hanging with Will as is. Missed chance to ask him where the guys had gone now.  
Also, Melody was nowhere to be seen.  
Realizing Petunia being around probably wasn't just a coincidence, she decided to play along, aware as before of her back exit in case something went south down here...again.  
~  
Yet again there was a strange aura about this particular basement lobby. This time, it wasn't crystals or books, it was some sort of magic and maybe a potion had been cooked up, it smelled...kind of familiar, in a way.  
Like her hair dryer.  
Wait.  
What?  
"Rose, I need to confess something to you. You seem tense, here, have a seat", Petunia cooed gently, pointing to a dusty seat which she cleaned off with a spray of magic.  
Rose moaned, tired, excited but unsure, and wishing she had a break from the other fillies' judgments, especially the other girls in her cohort, friends as some of them may be.  
Maybe the long lost purple unicorn was a breath of fresh air. But how had she come back?  
"Where have you been all this time?"  
"I want to show you something, Rose." Petunia answered simply. Too simply.  
"I see you're stressed. But you don't have to be. Let go of the expectations."  
"What on Funtasia does that mean?"  
"Stop trying to impress your teachers, impress your friends, impress your family. Just let it all go." she crooned.  
"Why though? Why are you of all people, who disappeared in the night and doesn't have respect for ANYONE, going around and telling me to just drop it all?"  
"Because you want to."  
"No, no I don't. I like being the head".  
"You're just saying that, but you know it's not fully true. It's a lot of pressure, isn't it?" Petunia smiled wryly.  
Rose really sat there and thought. "Okay, you said you wanted to tell me something and then you wanted to show me something. What is it?"  
"I want to tell you who I am and show you a place you might have forgot about. But now's not the time, you seem busy. Come back later tonight"  
"okaaaay...where are you staying?"  
"In here, out of sight of Sparkle. I don't want her coddling me again."  
"Have you been here this whole time?"  
"nooooo of course not," Petunia said embarassed, "Not exactly anyway".  
"I knew it, you're hiding out in the woods near the academy. What do you hate about school so much?"  
"Responsibility, commitment, the people being too cheery"  
"People?"  
"Fillies, animal friends, so on"  
"m"  
"Okay, nice talk. See you at 9 or so"  
"Okay, you sure you don't want me to get you something or?"  
"It's okay, I slipped a ten under the cook's hat and grabbed a pastry or two. Bye!"  
"Bye....."  
~  
"Rosa! There you are!" Melody cheerfully hugged her friend. "I've been looking for you all afternoon!"  
"You have?"  
"Yeah, so Zack and Will are only both free tomorrow night, so tomorrow you guys gotta go. I would come but there needs to be someone keeping watch with Bella, Red and her friends wanna come too."  
"Whoa hang on, Mel, that might be too many people. We don't want to cause suspicion"  
"It's not all of us, Rosa. Just a few"  
"Sure. And please don't call me that."  
"Call you what?"  
"Rosa"  
"I didn't call you, Rose"  
"What? Okay, whatever"... Rose said, shaking her head.  
~

Rose climbed down the steps again. She noticed the air had become much cleaner and less magick-y seeming now. What had been going on in here?  
"Hey Rose, glad you remembered. Here's what I wanted to show you" Petunia giggled. She opened up an innocuous but expensive looking chest on the ground. Rose came over and peered inside. It was a passageway. Enchanted, surely. A teleportation spell of some sort.  
"Whoa hang on, what is this? What are you doing?" Rose snapped quickly.  
"You wanted to go down the rabbit hole, Rose, this is where it begins. Sparkle hasn't given you the full side of the picture frame, but I can. Maybe you can see the truth now, maybe not. Only time will tell"  
"What on this planet are you talking about? "Rose screeched. She had to admit, Petunia seemed to know something important, but the way she was holding back made Rose uncomfortable, despite her curiosity.  
"All I'm offering is the other side of the story. I want you to realize that not everyone who seems to be the villain had bad intentions, and not every person who seems good is doing what they do for good reasons".  
"Thank you, I know that. My great grandmother began a war that almost destroyed this continent doing a bad thing even though she was a good filly otherwise. My friends have done bad things wanting good out of it, bossing me around, lying to me or being hostile, hiding secrets, and pulling pranks, and so on.  
But one bad action doesn't make a person as you call us bad, anymore than one bad apple means the whole tree is rotten. Yes, Fabian acts a bit weird, Bella was liking the fame too much, Zack was kind of rude with Fabian, Cedric locked me up down here out of paranoia...but I can let it go. Sheesh. Why am I even telling you this stuff?"  
"Because you want to, Rose. Between me, Lynn, and Fabian, who were you most eager to help?"  
"I like helping anyone who's nice to me."  
"Maybe other girls. I get the sense you and Fabian there have some friction."  
"It's not that simple."  
"Okay...."  
"So," Pet continued, "do you want to see what's really been going on here?"  
"Yes, I guess, just promise me you know your way out of here".  
"Last time you teleported back, remember?"  
"What?"  
"Come on in," Petunia gestured, leading the way. Rose followed stoicly.  
Behind them, a small bat flew into view and came in as well. Someone was on his shoulder too. "Damn, I can't believe I'm going back here," Tula whispered.  
"Trust me, we need you."  
"I don't agree with what you guys are doing, you know that."  
"Wrangy changed his mind. He -uh- she, doesn't want to destroy the place anymore. Just control it. That's good enough."  
"With a teen with confidence issues, really?"  
"Rose is the most confident of them all, I wouldn't say that."  
"I doubt that."  
"Doubt what you want, Wranglum sees something in her I don't."  
"Do you think...?"  
"No, you're just seeing that because you thought so about him yourself," Batti answered.  
"Did you see me that way?"  
"We're not quite compatible. Size or otherwise."  
"I said me, not him!"  
"I know. Hope it's working out with you and Cook"  
"It is, thanks. But it's strictly professional, on the cover. I admit he got me to try a spell but I don't like being big."  
"Understandable..."  
~

"So you're telling me you're really him? How come you can't show me?"  
"Because the timer runs out in the morning, Rose, and if I show you, I can't go back that fast."  
"Why would you think I'd want to help you? You want to destroy everything good about this place, just like last time, just like Aquatica, and the lands beneath Funtasia!"  
"But I changed my mind. I don't want to destroy anymore. I just want to make sure it's safe for me and my subjects, okay?" Pet's shadow seemed more sinister now.  
"How is THAT your concern here?"  
"We've been banished from the surface because fillykind found us too scary. It's time to set the record straight. Let us have our rights to the grounds back, and you keep charge of the Academy and Town for us once Sparkle makes you the next head in command, and we'll work it out from there. Managerially."  
"Like I believe that five seconds"  
"Hey, I haven't tried to kill you and steal your tiara yet. Which is valuable enough that it's worth doing so. You can trust me insofar"  
"How do I even know you're really the Dark Lord and not just someone with a good accent and a lot of practice pretending?"  
"Do you think these tunnels dug themselves, Rose? This took me years to build on my own."  
"Still, why should I trust you?"  
"Because, I'm opening up to you. I'm being honest. I'm not trying to trick you here, I'm not trying to use you or your friends. All I want is your cooperation in ensuring Funtasia never attacks the Grounders again."  
"And in exchange?"  
"I will help you with anything you want. But you need to meet me in person for that. I can't cast the same levels of spells through our half-body or from my mirror. You need to come see my cave again, and in person this time. With will."  
"Will is not finding out about this. Last person I would tell"  
"Not quite last. Sparkle is last, always, eh?"  
"Yes...."  
"You understand. But I meant your will and desire to ask me a return favour. Whatever you wish, well, within reason."  
"Keeping Aquatica safe. And Funtasia. And the rest of the kingdoms and queendoms too."  
"Already done. I told you I don't want to conquer anymore, I want to control."  
"What the hell's the difference?"  
"Boss, if I may-"  
"Batti, shush!"  
"..." "Battiwigs???"  
"You're with Wranglum?"  
"Well, not with in that way, we're just business partners, not friends" Batti said cheekily. "Nice try smoothing it, furball" Petunia frowned.  
"Oh come on, Pet" Rose puttered. "I didn't know he could talk. That's so cute!"  
"Only those who he trusts can understand him."  
"Magic?"  
"Magic."  
"Okay so, again, how do I trust you?"  
"You recognize that what I want is not all evil. I want a home for my people, and I mean a real home, not a cave system. Including me at some point, that would be nice."  
"And in return?"  
"Again, what do you want most? Freedom? Control?"  
"I already have those things."  
"Friendship?"  
"Please.:."  
"Love?"  
Rose stopped and thought a bit. "No."  
"I don't believe you. People would do anything for love."  
"I know, and that's a mistake I'm not repeating."  
"It wasn't your mistake, dear."  
"Don't you dear me".  
"I'll do as I please, thanks"  
"Why can't you just come out of your cave with a teleportation crystal again?"  
"Where from??? I could barely sic out the left over crumbs of your friends' experiment from this basement I call home now. Your little friend Cedric found out how you got out that one time, you know? That's how I got back in here without you or anyone else seeing me. He mapped out every last inch of the academy with his concoction, and his friends made detailed maps. Played real nicely for me."  
"That's something I wanted to do, but I don't see it worth the bother"  
"Well, he did. He sure seems to like you, you know. Even I noticed that. But your heart's for someone else, I think. And maybe that can be arranged"  
"No love potions. I'm not doing it."  
"Come now, I didn't say that, did I?"  
"You implied it."  
"You give me too little faith you know."  
"You're a bloodthirsty tyrant with no thoughts or feelings beyond conquering everything to destroy as you see fit"  
"I have more nuance than that, excuse you. I can appreciate love, even if it's a foreign concept to me after all these decades."  
Tula raised an arm to speak but put it down.  
Batti winced.  
"Look," Petunia continued, "I know how you feel about him. And if you want to know the truth, you're best off finding out it from his own lips."  
"That means nothing, Wranglum. I could just ask him myself, but I'm too embarrassed."  
"How Petty you must think I am, you know I'm a great sorcerer, don't you?"  
"You are Petty to me. But I guess that's just a veil."  
"It's a veil I don't choose to wear. Being icily polite is a lot better than being cold like before though, isn't it?"  
"You put this spell on"  
"I do it for everyone. Anytime I need to speak to fillies, I become a filly. It's not so complicated."  
"I don't believe you've done this before."  
"Maybe you're right. Maybe not."  
"I can feel you're lying."  
"I'm going to make sure he won't lie."  
"What does that mean? I said no potions! I don't want to change anyone's mind. Fillies are who they are and that's how it is. Some things, magic isn't meant to mess with."  
"Not to change a mind, just a slip of the tongue."  
"?"  
"A truth serum."  
"Batti, please." Petunia continued.  
Battiwigs grabbed a bottle wrapped in what seemed to be fake owl talons, resembling what Bijou's were like but in quartz. "Whoa".  
"Put it in his drink or food an hour before you set off to see me, and by the time we're done talking, he'll be telling you anything you want to hear."  
"But then why do I need to come to you?"  
"So you can help me be free, and so I can give you the tools and powers you'll need to take over the academy. Sparkle already trusts you more than she trusts herself to protect this land. You can outdo her just like she outdid Lily."  
"I thought Lily defeated you?"  
"I don't know, honestly, and I don't care which of the two it was, if not someone else. The point is, I nearly lost Farina and my Grounders took ages to grow back to size in numbers since then. After all you and your friends have done to foil my plans and weaken me, I can't afford another blow. I need you working with me"  
"And why shouldn't I just deliver the killing blow then? You sure deserve it."  
"Because you can see that I'm not all evil, and that the Academy is not all good. Not everything is black and white, you know.  
"  
"So tomorrow, I pay you a visit. How will I get in?"  
"I'll have you "fall" again, but I'll make sure you don't get hurt. Then when we're done, you can use your new flight spell with your mirror to fly back up, carefully though."  
"My friends won't let that happen."  
"Then tell them you're going in on purpose"  
"Why would they accept that?"  
"To find something you lost last time. Make an excuse. And don't be late, because the serum only lasts so long, and I wouldn't want you to miss out on hearing the other side of the truth either."  
Rose turned to leave, the exit back up to the Academy starting to dim.  
"Oh and Rose? Don't give it to the wrong filly. That always ends badly."  
"I won't", Rose said, having already etched a Z into the carving. Empress she would be, whether he'd be part of it or not. Now was time to find out where her loyalties in her friends stood.  
~

"Boss, how did you know which filly is the one she likes? She seems to like several of them."  
"Ugh, that must be hard for you to watch, seeing as you hate them so."  
"But to answer your question, Batti, I don't. I just had a hunch from how she seemed disoriented that she was interested in someone. We'll see who that Z belongs too soon enough, but that's not what's important."  
"And what is?" Tula demanded.  
"We need to have you two and the Ravens out and watching the whole scene to make sure Rose's friends don't mess this up for us. I told her to act more friendly than usual with everyone, be that cheery as she is, teasing, sultriness, whatever it takes. Keep them on their toes. Then they'll be caught off guard and more obedient when she starts taking our orders"  
"You sound WAY too confident this is going to work," Tula breathed.  
"I believe in him" Batti cheerleaded, and a group of Grounders in the mirror behind him smiled and gave signs of agreement and a whistle or two.  
"Tula, you're not obligated to help me anymore. You're out of my service."  
"Are you gonna pay me more than Cookingpot?"  
"Maybe. We'll see how much money can be squeezed out of this soon enough. Meantime, it's late. I need to go back to being Wranglum again. The cave needs to be laid out for tomorrow, Batti, will you fly over with the Ravens and help me?"  
"Of course, boss! Glad to be back in business!"  
"Too much", Wranglum smirked.  
END CHAPTER

CHAPTER FIVE  
ANTARES was suspicious.  
"I don't have any idea what you mean, Zack is always a good boy, not like those two troublesome elves and their immature classmates", he scorned. "You're just upset that he's outdoing your daughter at the celestial exams, but that's our damn family trade for crying out loud!"  
"Jeepers, Antares," Florian said, "I'm not upset over it, I just think it's odd he's out again and Bella hasn't said a word. I'm proud of her for trying so hard at these exams but I know the reason behind it isn't that she loves blue and star crystals oh so much."  
"Your daughter likes my grandson? Presposterous!" Antares scoffed. "Zack is simply nice to everyone, he woos all the girls, and probably some of the boys too knowing him. I don't think they have anything going on"  
"Well, Belle would like to disagree there, at least of what she's told me."  
"I bet your daughter is just imagining things, isn't she the one in her year who sent everyone Valentine's cards shipping fillies together? That's a silly and a risky thing to do at their age, they're not kids anymore, you know, as undeveloped their royal tushies may be."  
"They're not fighting, I can assure you of that."  
"Didn't mean in that way, Florian. Sometimes I think you're even softer in the head than she is. Stop playing innocent. Your daughter has been acting coy around my grandson and I want that to stop. He needs to focus on his studies, not on girls. Especially one several years his junour."  
"One year? Really?"  
"Even so."  
"Antares, with all due respect-"  
"Every time someone says that, they're just about to be disrespectful. It's like someone saying but in a sentence, it just throws away everything before the offending or contradicting word. Be it, although, however, despite, whatever.  
"  
"I just think you're overly concerned about them, they're just kids."  
"Kids who are smart enough to go out at night on their own hunting for gems- and think we don't know what they're up to-"  
"You're the one who wouldn't believe they left."  
"I believe they have more agency than you or Ashia give them credit for. You two let them go too easily over things, especially you, Florian. This is unbecoming of a senior staff."  
"Well if they have such agency, they should be able and allowed to have that responsibility, don't you think?"  
"Agency without some brains and wisdom doesn't end well," Antares snapped. "They are so shallow they see me as a caricature old wizard who knows nothing but his books. Which fits the rock loving one more than me but even he's aware of their antics and I bet he's been on in some of them."  
"I can confirm that, yes. And so can Professor Tori."  
"Mobility without maturity is a curse."  
"You just think that."  
"You tell me that when your child comes to you one day and tells you she's pregnant or that she tore her hooves ripped and it won't heal. They could be smoking any sort of herbs in their freetimes."  
"Point is, they can handle themselves, they pass their tests - mostly - it's fine"  
"Only Rose, Fabian, Cedric, and a few others seem to care enough to pass my tests anyway. Not that mine are as hard as what Zack's year is doing. No wonder Bella is getting through them."  
"She isn't that dumb, you know. She just has attention problems."  
"I don't think that's what the nurse said. Diagnosis: ate a giant cupcake in the woods and had scars to show for it. Diagnosis: broken bones in the legs and wings of her friends and with my boy included among them. And she's closest to that rascal Will who's among the worst of them all and even stupider and much more cocky than any of them. He makes Coach look shy."  
"That's bullshit and you know it, Antares. Nothing supersedes Coach, he's got them all in order if worst comes to worst."  
"Sparkle and Twilight do. And in any case, the other "Z"s in my class are more of a concern to me anyway. I have an eye on those twins, they get Will in to all these situations and fights and he just takes it like a nail gets hit by a hammer."  
"He's a child too. They're all children."  
"They're teenagers, and almost young adults as far as their size and knowledge suggests."  
"Maybe, but they act like children, even I can admit that."  
"I've heard the rumours of what they get up to. And I don't mean just their reckless adventures but other things too. My grandson's reputation among the students isn't the same as among the teachers or parents. He's probably got into trouble with half the girls in your daughter's year and I don't approve, but everything goes in one ear with him and out the other. I can't order him around or even slap him like his mother used to, because he's legally adult now and we no longer have that right."  
"What are you saying, he's going to go cause problems with them?"  
"More than problems, his year has lunatic parties every other day if I don't go shut it down, and we're lucky if it's just a rave or loud music. Most of the times, they throw in drugs and drinks that don't go well together, and sometimes I have walked in on a massive orgy. Don't you tell me the younger ones aren't going to do that too. I just hope they have the common sense to use some contraceptives, magic or otherwise."  
"I thought you were against those."  
"I was until my son turned out to be a walking slut of sorts."  
"I thought he's your grandson".  
"Yes, but his father has never been around seriously. Explains his behaviour quite a lot, actually."  
"Doesn't he have a girlfriend already?"  
"A fiancee, but he's thinking about breaking it off with her, so he tells me. They argue too much and she's too possessive for him. Not a surprise. All polished on the surface and no manners under the tablecloth."  
"That's not a nice thing to say about your potential daughter in law."  
"I was talking about my son."  
"You sure are going on about him a lot today, did something happen with him?"  
"Yes, he went off again on his own against curfew, which applies even to his age group, isn't that how we started this conversation?"  
"Look, Antares, they're adults, or almost, all of them. They're going to do stupid things, crazy things, even dangerous things. You can't stop them and neither can I. It's better we teach them to be safe and ready first, and even if they take chances, and say, one of them has a kid, that's their choice and not ours. Everyone is the master of their own fate, the captain sailing their soul. Besides, best way to learn is the hard way/"  
"I couldn't agree, Florian. I'd rather see things learned the easy way, than the hard way. Sometimes you don't get a second chance. And sometimes, the hard way can be too hard, and these kids may be agile and fast, but they are gullible and not too bright, not even the smart ones among them like Zamia or Cedric."  
"Isn't it Zamie? That's what Bella always calls her."  
"I don't know, for some reason, my tongue keeps slipping on attendance roll and I call her Zamia instead."  
~

"Rose, don't you think this is a bad idea after last time?" Zack questioned, as the two marched ahead with Lynn, Will, Red, and a timid Troy behind them.  
"I wish Melody would have gone instead of you," Troy began, "I trust her a lot more than you," he told Red blank out.  
"That's not very nice of you, stranger. I don't even know your real name."  
"Neither do I."  
Rose was shaking her head slowly. She had made a mistake.  
Instead of giving the serum to Zack alone, and maybe a bit for the twins to find out where Zamie had hid her hair dryer, she had put it in the recipe dough after Lynn had crashed into her by accident and now everyone had just a bit of it - not enough to get any full answers. She was too love shy but figured she'd have to be more direct to get a straight answer out of Zack in this state. Maybe Wranglum had more serum, if there was a way to use it, and this wasn't a trap.  
It seemed that everyone had been just 'crashing into her' as of late. Yesterday, it was Fabian, today it had been Bella, Will, and then Lynn. Last week Troy and Quiet tag teaming a raccoon had almost thrown their mud trap on her instead. Hm, she certainly didn't look like a raccoon, but maybe they meant skunk, which was a bit offensive to her for some reason.  
White fur is what it is, especially when it's just a bright streak. She would like to have nothing but white fur though.  
If not on her, at least around her.  
Black would work too, actually, maybe better so she could give those two boys trouble next time as a real live skunk or raccoon or what have you. Will's colouration, but the idea of looking even remotely similar to Will would give him ideas Bella had already told her he had. Asking her to the dance? Really, with that breath? Riiight...Rose needed to cut off her guy friends. Too many admirers, just like how every girl in the grade seemed to want Zack as much as his own year. And that meant competition.  
"Here it is," Zack stated simply. "Now be careful, because it's my fault if you get hurt again, and I can't afford another explanation or a trip to the medical ward. Last time they gave me so much antimoss I felt like a zombie for the rest of the day."  
"Very honest of you, Zack" Rose quipped, and purred as she looked down the dark path to her enlightenment.  
"Alright, if I'm not out in an hour, send help, okay?" she asked.  
Everyone turned and nodded.  
Troy and Red stopped arguing for a moment to do that but then resumed as before. Lynn rolled her eyes slowly and gave Will the look. Will rolled his eyes as well and went over to talk to Zack. Surely a bigger guy would know how to explain better broomball tactics. Witchy sports weren't his thing as a faerie, but always room to learn and grow.  
~  
Ah, there you are, all in your purple glory. Ugly glory, but glory nonetheless. How does such a tall, large, and majestic creature manage to look so decadent? Must have been his defeats at the hands of her and her friends.  
Batti put a quiet finger to his face, and Wranglum got up and bent down to face her. He began whispering something Rose couldn't make out, and in a moment she had grown to almost his size.  
"Now, that we're on the same level, I feel a bit less intrusive talking. Maybe you feel less threatened."  
"I'm nothing but angry, but it's my fault this time, not yours. Do you have more serum?"  
"More serum, more truth, eh? Of course not, but I can have it whipped up by the Grounders in no time. The stuff's cheap to make. Just some mystic and exotic fruits."  
"Could you shrink me down actually? I don't feel like getting dust on me, thanks."  
"AH, you fillies, so dirt sensitive. Fine, but I hate being small. I'm staying my size."  
"So what do you need to give me?"  
"I already did. The serum, the knowledge, and this last spell which besides making you larger, has given you some powers you haven't had until now. You'll know when you need to use them."  
"What do you mean....?"  
"I didn't come all this way down for a riddle, Wranglum!"  
"Damn, you make Battiwigs almost seem tolerable, you know that? But my point is, I can't explain what powers and facts and virtues you've been bestowed with, but they will activate for you on command when you need them and from then on you will know."  
"Why can't you just tell me?" she chuckled, a little scorn in her voice despite herself.  
"Because time, and because you don't need to, it would be too much info. Just be assured of your newfound - and complete confidence - so long as you keep our oath. Understood? The history is no more to doubt, as far as my side and Sparkle's sides go. Now go up and there and get your guy."  
"Where's the serum, Wrangy?"  
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"  
Some spikes fell down and smacked Wranglum, Batti and Rose had to dodge.  
"Careful, holy shit!" Batti shouted.  
"Ow" Wranglum complained.  
"Why are you so sensitive about this name anyway?" Rose asked. "It's just a pet name."  
"You don't like being called Rosa, do you?"  
"No...wait, how do you know that?"  
"How do I know about Zamia, or Lina for Lynn, Ceddy for Cedric, Lowie for Willow, Lia for Bella?"  
"You made this stuff happen. You've been leading me on."  
"I've given you what you wanted, and you could have always said no and walked away. You made the pact, now hold up your end of it."  
"All these weird feelings...you've been manipulating me and my friends!"  
"Not as much as you all have manipulated me. Especially, you, Rose."  
"What does that mean???"  
"Just go. The serum is at your feet."  
"Hooves."  
"Feet for me, hooves for you. Now go"  
As Rose began flying her way up, Batti asked Wranglum in a whisper no Raven or Grounder could make out, "Boss, you know all the boys her age like her, right?"  
"So?"  
"You're a bit old, don't you think?"  
"What are you implying, Battiwigs, I don't have all day."  
"You like her too, don't you?"  
"No I don't, stop being ridiculous. For God's sake, if there is a greater God than me out there, the only time I have ever liked anyone at all was Farina, and that was a long time ago."  
"I think what Tula said speaks otherwise, and how you've been treating me while as Petunia too."  
"Grr...watch it, wingman."  
"You're lonely, aren't you? You don't want her to do your work for you. You want her to rule with you and to be the queen to your king."  
"No I do not. This lovey-wovey thing is getting to you just like it is to them. I thought I turned that spell off already, but I bet the crystal nerds have got it back on one way or another"  
"Accident or on purpose?"  
"Who cares? My point to you, is true professionals and conoisseurs sample their women like fine wines. Farina was one thing and even Tula is closer than any mortal filly could ever be. Now leave me be and stop making everything all flowers and selfishness."  
"You're just afraid to admit it."  
"You've become too friendly with them. What, did the owl give you eyes or something?" He mocked.  
Batti shook his head slowly in disappointment. Maybe the two lab boys had indeed done cooked something up, but how would that air be affecting Wranglum through the mirror, all the way out here? Unless it lingered on creatures in which case Rose had brought it in. Hmm...  
END CHAPTER

CHAPTER SIX  
Rose returned to the surface. Zack and the others were waiting impatiently, except for Troy who had fallen asleep somehow.  
"You really need to stop staying up so late," Will said as he slowly punched him out of oblivion.  
"Huh? Applesauce? Where?" Troy yawned.  
"Applesauce?" Red went, cocking an eyebrow.  
"Zack, can I talk to you a bit?" Rose asked. "I found out something important and I need to know something."  
"Well, why not here? It's best we all hear."  
"It's kind of private."  
"Okay..."  
"interesting", Lynn smoothed, biting her lip and giving that same look to Rose she had given Will earlier, but this time with less annoyance.  
_  
"I want you to honestly tell me how you feel about me", Rose began. The words felt like lead dripping off her tongue, but whether she was crushed or sent to heaven, it was better than never knowing.  
"How?" Zack deadpanned, apparently still wide awake but heads in the clouds as usual.  
"I mean do you like me, you know, in that way!" she said, feeling childish about it but pushing forward and hoping to get the gears cranking.  
"Do you really think I don't know that?" Zack chuckled. "I'm not zoned out like everyone thinks, I'm just so used to this attention that it runs right over me. I'm thinking about how I'm now going to work on my thesis for my next paper, due tomorrow, haven't barely done half and it's almost 3 AM. Why did you stay so damn long?"  
Rose felt her heart sink. Surely he was better than this.  
"Look, you're a nice filly, I'll give you a chance to convince me you're not like the others".  
"What ego", Rose grumbled loudly, "Am I just another flower to you, a prize to be hung up on your wall? Get over yourself!" she practically shouted. Snickers from the bushes, someone had snuck in to watch. Definitely Will or Lynn.  
"No, you don't get it. I have a fiancee, okay? And while things are not going well for us...once again...I don't like being unfaithful to her. She takes everything the wrong way, okay?"  
"Oh..."  
"She doesn't have to know everything though, does she?"  
"Oh, you're nasty."  
"Nasty clever, eh? I think you're just shy, another girl would be gushing right now at the idea of stealing an angel off his partner".  
He put a decisive hoof around her neck. At that point, Rose let herself go and just melted. Finally, this had taken far too long.  
More snickers. This was going to become news for sure. Hopefully Zack's fiancee wasn't around the academy much.  
_  
A WEEK LATER OR SO  
_  
"Antares, you're being ridiculous."  
"Don't you tell me with your young years what ridiculous means", Antares replied, accusatory now rather than simply upset.  
Florian wasn't having it this time. "May I remind you I AM YOUR EQUAL, not your grandchild", he said, raising his voice.  
"I don't care. I knew this would happen and I told you we needed to do something about it, but rather than call Zack right then and there and find out what he has gotten himself and the kids he's watching over into, you'd just let them be because they're "all grown up and wise" to you, eh?"  
"Nobody was hurt, nothing has happened. Until now.: Florian growled, "My daughter found out and is very upset about it, she won't talk to her friend now and she's been misbehaving the whole week".  
"Normal, I'd say, but what do I know," Antares guttered, "I've never loved anyone. Still you're younger than me and you have your own family, but you don't have the wisdom of my years to see how these things turn out if left unchecked to fester like this. You can't just say, kids will be kids, they aren't kids damn it! My grandson is supposed to be acting mature and being committed, and instead he's being pushed into being a full sleazebag by these cretins in your daughter's year!"  
"How the hell do you have a biological grandson if you've never had a lover?" Thori cocked an eyebrow, coming into the teachers' lounge. "And both of you, stop fighting. This is silly, there's no point throwing stones of blame".  
"My wife became estranged a long time ago. I don't even know which of my son and daughter is mine and which is my in-law, when I was younger I had to work abroad and the two were already close together by the time I could spend time at home and help raise them".  
Thori looked slightly amused.  
Florian was expressionless, maybe unfazed.  
He made a nonplussed face.  
"She blamed me for not raising my son- I think it's my son who's mine -ours- but I don't know, and he was always a bit off just like her, something in the head, I don't know. She left me because it was my fault, and the rest of my family at the time was extremely upset and split over it, rest their souls for those who are no longer on this plane".  
"So now you're super careful with Zachary because you don't want to make the same mistake twice?" Thori asked, clearly holding back some all-too-familiar smugness, dry as it was.  
"Exactly. I'm going to go talk with this girl who has upset Florian's daughter and straighten this out," Antares affirmed.  
"Wait, Antares, that's not a good idea, you know they're not going to listen to you, not one of them", Florian sputtered desperately.  
Thori shook his head, "Once he's made up his mind, it's done".  
Antares turned around before leaving, and the look on his eyes went from cold indifference to a pained look like Florian had seen in Bella's. "I want my son - my second son - to be happy, and to grow up a little. He was so mature until he let these girls walk all over him and now look what a mess he's become. It's happening just like with my real son. I can't lose both of them", he declared, and from the tone of his voice it sounded like he was holding back tears. "If his fiancee breaks up with him - she almost did and he was upset for weeks - who knows what he will do. Sure, he seems polite and put-together and assertive, but he has a weak heart and he's as aloof as his father and grandmother were. Are, I guess. It must run in the family".  
The door closed slowly.  
_  
"Hellloooo boys", Petunia glimmered as she slid across the lab bench over to where Fabian and Cedric were working. "What's going on with you two?"  
"You", Fabian began, but Petunia put a hoof to his lip and turned her attention to Cedric, pretending to be hard at work on sticking a test tube into a rack.  
"Need some help there?" she smiled.  
"I'm good, thanks. What are you doing here?" he said rather unkindly, turning his head to the purple stranger slowly. "I remember hearing about you running off, you came back now?"  
"I want to talk to you two. Especially to you, Cedric, I need to ask you some things", she grinned, but the grin was not meant to send a good vibe but a creepy, almost threatening tone.  
"Whatever he can answer, I can answer," Fabian boldly declared before shutting up when Petunia shot him a look.  
"What do you want, Peony or what ever your name is? Can't you see we're busy?"  
"It's Petty, short for Petunia, and no that's not an invitation for puns, Fabian".  
"Will's the pun guy, not Fabian", Cedric exhaled with a sign of menace.  
"Why so hostile?" Petunia purred, "I just want to know a little something. That stuff you're working with, what does it do exactly?"  
"None of your business", Fabian went, "Now screw off".  
"Wow, I didn't expect that from you" Cedric said, grinning despite himself. "You're growing a pair, man!"  
"Thanks" Fabian said rather coldly.  
Petunia didn't look the least bit discouraged and went on.  
"Well, what I know is you two have been cooking up some kind of love potion, haven't you?" she asked. "I bet it's already done".  
"Is it for Rose?" she asked Cedric, who then turned scowling and beginning to lose his cool quickly.  
"It's not for her, and it's not a potion!" he practically shouted.  
"How do you know he likes Rose anyway?" Fabian pointed out, jeering at Petunia and somehow enjoying Cedric's irritation just a little bit.  
"I have my sources. That she's with Zack now. I bet you must be having some arguments with him. Jealous much?" she asked.  
"What's it to you?" Cedric went, raising his hoof in question before pouring a tube down the sink instead of in the beaker it was meant to go in.  
"I feel Rose could have every guy she wanted if she tried, especially with the help of whatever you two have been putting in the air. Interesting how it doesn't affect you Fabian, is there a reason why?"  
"You ignored my question", Cedric muttered, but Petunia ignored him in turn and faced Fabian now.  
"I don't particularly like the idea of that myself, either way. Isn't what you hear about in storybooks always one and one no matter who or where?" Fabian asked, trying to act knowledgeable but showing he had barely half an idea.  
"I just want to give you two a little message, a little warning, maybe", Petunia said, keeping her eyes locked on Fabian and then swinging back to Cedric after finishing her sentence. "Don't go around making trouble for me with Rose or I will make hell for you. Understood? Same with Zack. Leave the two of them alone."  
"What are your goals? You like Rose too? Interesting," Fabian chortled. "There's only a few couples like that here and they  
are all two boys, not two girls".  
Cedric wasn't amused. "Whatever you're doing, whoever you are, don't try anything funny yourself. And get out of here already. Where is Sparkle at putting you in your place? Allergy girl."  
Petunia laughed heartily and took out her mirror, pulling out a necklace with an anti-evil gem, and donned it kindly. "I've changed a little, got a prescription of sorts. All is fine now", she then picked herself up and left as quietly as she had entered, leaving the two science lovers confused and looking at each other with the "sus" look.  
_  
"What's this about?" Rose asked, not liking the hostility in Antares' voice.  
"You slept with my grandson, didn't you?" Antares said, his dichromatic eyes facing slightly cross eyed and glimmering in the light, somehow negative despite their brightness compared to the rest of his matte look.  
"I didn't sleep with him oh my god! You're a teacher, not another student! Why are you even asking about this??!"  
"Sparkle, Twilight, and I are the oldest teachers in this academy and we lived through the war that started with a jealous filly and her actions. Only they understand what I'm talking about when I'm saying prevention is the best cure, the other staff are too young and too inexperienced despite having families for the most part. "  
"What are you even saaaying?"  
"Don't give me that attitude, Princess Rosa. You should know better than to step in between two people. You have a reputation to uphold and a dignity and status to act as a role model to your peers. This isn't wise behaviour."  
"And I bet with all your gray hairs you must have lots of that!" she toiled angrily. "Who are you to judge?"  
"Somebody who doesn't want to see his son hurt again and his family destroyed", Antares said firmly and with pain in his voice nonetheless. "Leave my grandson alone or I will let your family hear about this".  
Shocked, Rose left without a word. Wranglum had promised her that she would be able to do anything and basically rule the academy given time. If anything, she had become this much less in the eyes of the teacher whose approval was most important to her - in one sense.  
_  
"I don't think this is working out well at all", Tula whispered. Battiwigs nodded to agree.  
"We gotta do something but what, it's not our faults anyway, what happens will happen. Let them sort it out, they're smart." Batti breathed.  
"It's not our faults, hah, hah" Tula said, mocking Batti's voice, "You gave your master this idea and now he's run to heart with it. You need to do something about it."  
"Do what? It's not my fault any of this is happening, this is a ton of strains and tensions built over time just snapping now by coincidence".  
"Still, you started it".  
"Doesn't make it my problem. I couldn't predict any of this, from the mad science to the arguments among the teachers which is now growing to other staff as well. Sparkle is hearing about this and about "Petunia" now and we will be in big trouble soon. But what am I supposed to do? I'm just a bat!" Batti shook his head and curled his ears, defying responsibility.  
"CALL A MEETING" Tula basically shouted.  
_  
Wranglum, Rose, Battiwigs, and Tula stood in the underground maze's center chamber. Battiwigs had gone to great lengths to clean it out decently, and Tula's handiwork no longer littered the random valuables and junk covering the place head to toe.  
"All this gold would go in better use in the academy treasury than sitting here rotting in this dungeon", Rose grumbled.  
"Rose, why are you here? This doesn't concern you," Wranglum said, speaking through his mirror as there indeed were no more teleportation crystals - Florian had yet to find out how many had been taken.  
"It DOES concern me, because now I'm in trouble with a random student wandering around the premises and rumours circulating that I'm trying to ruin the academy's former top student", she growled.  
"Ruin is a word", Tula stated.  
"You're coming across a useful tool to them instead of leading by example," Wranglum began, "I told you you could use your powers when you'd need them. You don't need powers to solve your interpersonal issues".  
"Call them what they are, problems" Rose replied.  
"Well, better than a useless tool", Battiwigs said unhelpfully.  
"Shut up, Battiwigs", Wranglum ordered, and smacked Battiwigs with the mirror, who then flew off and hung from the top. "Whoa not up here!" Tula said.  
"Why not?" Batti asked.  
"Too high!"  
"We've been hanging off the banisters of every class we've been in so far", he said, giving a "really?" look to her.  
"None of them were this high, and I wasn't this small last time!" Tula yelped.  
"What are you suggesting I do?" Rose asked. "Give up the love of my life so you don't look bad and I don't keep ruffling feathers? Bella hasn't talked to me all week".  
"No, just be more discreet about things in general", Wranglum explained, putting a hand to his face, "Try not to think of yourself as the supreme duchess just yet, okay?"  
"Queen", Rose corrected flatly. "I'm a Princess".  
"Whatever, I don't know your equine terminology".  
"Excuuuuse me, we are only part equine, that's rude", she sniped.  
"Not my business to know", Wranglum deadpanned.  
"I get the sense you have an ulterior motive here. You'd better not try any tricks", Rose jingled, "or you might have to hear from me about that".  
At this Wranglum became offended instead. "Hello! I'm still the uber-powerful dark wizard here, in case you haven't noticed! You're not the one giving out commands here, I am!"  
"Then why is it that if I really try, I can command other fillies to do what I want basically just by luring them around or throwing sly comments and jokes"  
"Because Cedric is putting something in the air to try to get you" Battiwigs blurted out before Tula could cover his mouth with one of her arms.  
"WHAT", Rose shouted, "Oh I am having a word with him alright. Him and Will"  
"That reminds me, actually," Wranglum said, "Batti, you need to go and see what Will is up to right now as well. I'm curious."  
"Do you think I don't know?" Battiwigs harped back, "I'm their damn dorm mascot!"  
"You've been spending pretty much all your time with me or Wranglum lately", Tula pointed out.  
"Right..."  
"Go and do it", Wranglum said.  
_  
"Will, that's nonsense. I don't care what Bella says, there is no monster hypnotizing anyone. She's just making excuses up", Zam went. Quiet nodded in quiet agreement in the corner, stepping even more into the corner when Cedric burst in angrily.  
"Hey Cedric, there you are", Will gloated, "maybe you can put your head into use and tell Zam why he's being a damn idiot as usual". To his surprise, Cedric didn't chuckle and instead focused on Will. "Did you talk to that Petunia girl? The new one who came back? Who's spilling to her?"  
"Nobody, but if you're so mad about Rose and Bella is so mad about Zack, why don't you two just hook up" Will said, making an awkward funny face.  
Cedric restrained himself from punching his friend in the jaw with that weird expression plastered on it and took a deep breath in to calm down. "I heard that when Zack's old girlfriend wanted to break up with him for a while, he punched a hole through his bedroom wall. I went and checked the other day since I was in the area today-"  
"You what?" Zam laughed. "Wow, man, that's kinda-"  
"Shut", Cedric ordered. "I don't know why you two think you're so funny, but I have every right to be upset as Bella is. I think Rose did some magic on Zack too, he's been acting weird lately. So has Rose, but in a different way. And Lynn's been ignoring me too-  
"Oh well that's unfortunate, because she sure hasn't been ignoring WILL" Quiet yelled out, "Yo Willow tell him what she started doing when you two went back to the Maze with Zamia".  
"It's nothing", Will said upset, glaring a little but not intensely, "She's just feisty, that's all. The usual."  
"Lynn is about as far from feisty as anyone gets except my sister", Zam noted.  
"Disagree", Will yawned, "Anyway-  
"Just because you're uncomfortable doesn't mean you get to walk away from it either, smarty pants" Cedric said. "You ask hard questions, you get hard questions, alright tough guy?"  
"Listen up egghead, I don't have time for your bull today, alright? We're game at four for broomball with Lynn and her friends and we're not losing it this time, okay?"  
"You never called me egghead, you called Fabian that! What's up with you today?" Cedric shouted.  
"I don't know, same difference really. You were always just the more 'shake your head' type than the overt walking egg man", Will jeered.  
"Mista man, you're walking in dangerous territory", Cedric postured somewhat oddly, doing a pose Will knew Bella to do best. "And I will prove it to ya too".  
Quiet glanced at Zam but said nothing.  
Zam didn't take his eyes off the argument.  
"I think you're getting the wrong idea who you are here, my boy. I'M the one in charge of what we do, not you. You're letting your little science experiments get to your head lately, that's what it is. We don't need a million Battiwig trackers and we definitely don't need this princely and pristine posh polished attitude from your pompous ass"  
"Yeah well you can fuck right off with that I'm-so-much-better-than-you-loser attitude", Cedric replied, feeling himself starting to turn red although he couldn't tell if it was anger or embarrassment.  
"I didn't say that-" Will began, but Cedric had already walked into his room and shut the door, then locking it.  
Quiet gave a simpering, half proud half embarrassed smile as he looked at the mischief that had been made. He had a spot for drama, it seemed, like some of Will's other more distant friends.  
Zam began to laugh quietly. "Heh, and to think you see ME as your biggest problem eh? Looks like you've got your own bogeyman to deal with now".  
"Yeah so for once you won't go running back and crying to your sister about how I was so mean to you", Will jabbed back.  
"Bruh, I'm the one pulling shit on you and telling everyone else about how much of a dumbass you are".  
"Every time you slip up, Zamia finds it funny. And you slip up more than her. It's pretty sad bro", Will said.  
"Why do you bring her up so much?"  
"The better question is if she brings him up so much" Quiet said before coughing quickly.  
"What?" Will asked.  
"Shut up Quiet", Zam said.  
\-----  
Red was busy manufacturing her hair with Melody's help when Petunia bust through the door. "Look who's back, bitches!"  
"Oh no, you're permanent now, what shall we do?" Red moaned sarcastically, but she was being playful about it. Red had less than no idea and barely knew Petunia either.  
Melody was ecstatic. Rose and Bella had both distanced themselves for a while and Will was acting all high and mighty and wouldn't talk to her either. She had felt very left out if not for Red, who was a bit much at times. Here was a new friend who'd love to hear all the secrets the others had told her about! ")  
END CHAPTER

CHAPTER 7  
(This will be a short one)  
BRENT was tossing yet another towel on The Pile.  
The Pile was all the towels he left to dry by air in the common area near his door, because the dorm's dryer was broke and he wasn't one to go ask another dorm. That would be insulting.  
Zack chuckled. Some things never change.  
"SO, what's going on? You get yourself in another scandal?" Brent glanced sideways, seemingly knowingly.  
Zack took his eyes off the towel monster in the corner of the lounge. "Well, yeah. I got close to this nice girl from first year. Can't get her off my mind lately".  
"Damn dude, and I think I live dangerously. Any of her friends know your fiancee's friends?"  
Zack shook his head. "No, and that's lucky. But I'm starting to have second thoughts about her"  
"Good. You don't need another mess rn, I'll tell you that" he said, giving a somewhat evil smirk.  
"No I mean my fiancee"  
"How come you never tell anyone her name?"  
"I want to keep it private. Keep family things separate"  
"Keep it in the family? What?"  
Zack chocked Brent lightly, who hit back and in doing so caused several towels to fall down off a rack on The Pile.  
"Look, I'm serious this time. She's not just a fling like the others. She may be the one more than my current girl is"  
"This stal's be going on about having two or three girls at once and playing em like side fils, and you think I'm going to take you seriously when you say that? Come on, bro, you can trick your profs but you can't get that crap past me"  
Zack was very pensive for a moment.  
It just didn't make sense. Something had happened, clearly, but what?  
Hopefully not too many people knew. His grandfather finding out was enough, it had been quite a shouting match, but among the other students and faculty...  
Well, that new one, the dark purple one, she seemed to be running her mouth a lot. Wonder what her game was. Sparkle had put her into a temp area but it seemed she had a dorm now with some of Rose's classmates  
Same age, apparently. Even though she looked old enough to be in his cohort.  
A knock on the door.  
A young filly dude was outside, he looked like one of Willow's friends.  
"Come in friendo", Brent invited. "What's news up here?"  
"Why do you come henceforth and disturb the seniors?" Zack joked.  
"Too much?"  
"Nah you still got it" Brent considered, scratching his chin.  
"Don't do that", the younger boy said, "You might mess your beard".  
"I ain't got a beard!" Brent protested.  
Brent looked like Coach if Coach had somehow gotten suntanned and sunburned at the same time. Except he shaved constantly, he hated his mane and always ravaged it into shape as well.  
"So why you here, shorts?" Brent said, catching himself.  
"Got some juice for us?" Zack grinned.  
"I wanted to ask you guys if you know about what Will pulled".  
"Uh no?"  
"So you don't know then..."  
~  
A half hour later and Zack and Brent had heard a lot. "You seriously mean to tell me you kids have been experimenting with raw magic, not got caught, and messing with fillies?" Zack was more concerned than upset. "No, we need to tell the staff about this".  
"No, Zack, hold that word. We might do more harm than good at this point, especially if it's affected some of them too"  
"Just your grandfather and Prof Florian" the youngling spoke.  
"Well, who knows what the future holds", Brent replied ominously. Zack turned to ask a question but changed his mind.  
The young filly trotted off, leaving the two older boys more confused than they had been before.  
END CHAPTER


End file.
